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I'm not here to defend or criticize the law, although I personally see many problems with enforcement and think a lot of it is an over-reaction to many problems. Those problems however are real and they are the reason most Arizonians support this law, and I believe if people understand what occurs in our state, they'd understand why we felt the need to take strong action, even if you dont agree with the action we took.
Arizona is firstly a huge avenue for drug smuggling running northward in the United States, you can look at the stats for the estimated quantity moved as well as the total amount seized here: Overview - Arizona Drug Threat Assessment
Now that situation in itself is not unique, all the Southern border states, California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, suffer from drug smuggling as well as the crime that comes along with it, as cartels compete and law enforcement attempts to stop them.
However what is unique to Arizona is the massive bottleneck that exists with the highway system that forces all that north/south traffic to go straight through Phoenix on I-17, which holds roughly 2/3s of Arizonians(I'm counting the greater metro area). That causes a huge increase in crime in the city as well as messing with the economy, especially the housing market. Phoenix has suffered more than almost any other city during the housing crisis this decade, that is partially due to the huge, and artificial influx, of demand from illegal immigrants. These people used some of the worst and easiest to break loans and repayment plans, which was also huge mistake by the banks in truth, but most people will blame the immigrants and those who took out those mortgages and fueled that demand.
So in Phoenix, which also holds Maricopa county home of the infamous Joe Arpaio, the economy is being violently trashed around(regardless of whose fault that is, its happening) and the large amounts of illegal immigrants who come into Arizona from Mexico settle in Pheonix because its the biggest city with the most work for hundreds of miles. And they especially work in construction because of the huge increase in housing demand which they themselves are fueling.
So whether you are for or against this new law, this is why its come about. Here's the map where you can see the only major north/south route in Arizona.
Arizona is firstly a huge avenue for drug smuggling running northward in the United States, you can look at the stats for the estimated quantity moved as well as the total amount seized here: Overview - Arizona Drug Threat Assessment
Now that situation in itself is not unique, all the Southern border states, California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, suffer from drug smuggling as well as the crime that comes along with it, as cartels compete and law enforcement attempts to stop them.
However what is unique to Arizona is the massive bottleneck that exists with the highway system that forces all that north/south traffic to go straight through Phoenix on I-17, which holds roughly 2/3s of Arizonians(I'm counting the greater metro area). That causes a huge increase in crime in the city as well as messing with the economy, especially the housing market. Phoenix has suffered more than almost any other city during the housing crisis this decade, that is partially due to the huge, and artificial influx, of demand from illegal immigrants. These people used some of the worst and easiest to break loans and repayment plans, which was also huge mistake by the banks in truth, but most people will blame the immigrants and those who took out those mortgages and fueled that demand.
So in Phoenix, which also holds Maricopa county home of the infamous Joe Arpaio, the economy is being violently trashed around(regardless of whose fault that is, its happening) and the large amounts of illegal immigrants who come into Arizona from Mexico settle in Pheonix because its the biggest city with the most work for hundreds of miles. And they especially work in construction because of the huge increase in housing demand which they themselves are fueling.
So whether you are for or against this new law, this is why its come about. Here's the map where you can see the only major north/south route in Arizona.
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